Track of galleries Prague – Karlín – Viaduct

The parking lot under the viaduct will transform into an art showcase.

The CCEA project opens the topic of the space under the Karlín viaduct for culture and the city.

From Thursday, September 19, to Saturday, September 21, the arches of the Negrelli Viaduct will be filled with exhibitions from Prague galleries, and the space will be enlivened by concerts, theatrical and dance performances, children's creative workshops, author readings, lectures, culinary art demonstrations, and Richard Biegel and Vladimír 518 will guide the public through the viaduct.

The Negrelli Viaduct has been in operation since 1850. It is one of the most significant technical structures in Prague and the Czech Republic, the second oldest bridge in Prague. Unfortunately, the current state of the viaduct contrasts with all the qualities that its spaces offer.

The aim of this CCEA project is to draw attention to the potential of the Negrelli Viaduct and explore ways to integrate it into urban life. The gallery trail contains three levels - the artistic interpretation of the gallery space by galleries, curators, and artists, as well as a temporary opening of the venue to the public along with its intensive transformation, which replaces the lifeless visualization with an experiment. The third level will involve two student workshops organized in parallel with the program. One workshop will focus on illuminating buildings in public spaces led by experts from Philips, while the other will be an architectural workshop in cooperation with ARCHIP about the transformation process of the Negrelli Viaduct, led by Patrik Hoffman (Atelier Hoffman) and Petr Lešek (Projektil). The goal of the architectural workshop is to find a suitable architectural-economic model for Negrelli Viaduct that would not be based on a standard developer principle. The results will be presented on September 21 at 5:00 PM, initiating a discussion about the possible future of the viaduct with representatives from the City of Prague, Prague 8, the Railway Administration, and the public.

The only condition for the artistic installations is minimal alteration of the arches for exhibition purposes, so it will be interesting to see how individual artists will deal with the spaces. The project involves A.M.180 gallery, Divus, which also provides another aspect of social entertainment - Pragerkabarett bar. Other participating galleries include Drdova gallery, Galerie Ferdinanda Baumanna, FUTURA, MeetFactory, Galerie Patricia Milano, and Tranzitdisplay.

Each of the three evenings will feature different musical arrangements. The first evening will be taken care of by the galleries themselves, with performances from bands such as Střešovická kramle or Ruce naší Dory, concluding with a DJ set by Orisha. The Friday evening will be experimental, featuring Prague Modern Young and Ponec in a joint performance called ImproVIAdukt, followed by a performance by Autopsia Archive Prague. The Saturday evening is titled Easterndaze presents, featuring concerts from four bands, Střed světa (CZ), S Olbricht, SILF (HU), and Shibuya Motors (SK). The entire Saturday program is joining the city-wide neighborhood festival Zažít město jinak organized by the Auto*Mat association, bringing the Karlín zone to life along with eight other locations.

Why such an artistic-cultural three-day marathon?
The Railway Transport Administration (SŽDC), which owns the Karlín viaduct, announced that it intends to begin work on connecting Masaryk Station with the airport. The whole event is set to start with the renovation of the Negrelli Viaduct, and SŽDC is gradually terminating existing lease agreements. The Prague 8 municipality has long been inclined towards the idea of incorporating the bridge into Karlín's life and intended, following the example of other European cities, to rent out the arches and facilitate non-residential spaces such as cafes, studios, or workshops. However, SŽDC has a rather cautious view on reconstructing the Negrelli Viaduct and prefers a scenario where the arches remain empty.
Here, we open the floor for discussion. The potential of the Negrelli Viaduct lies in its possible contribution not only to the residents of Karlín but also to Prague's cultural life. The reconstruction of the transport structure combined with its further use will increase the attractiveness of the place far more than just its preserved existence.

More information:
www.ccea.cz
The gallery trail is supported by the City of Prague.
The project is under the patronage of Jiří Janků, the mayor of the Prague 8 municipality.
Main partners:
Vodafone Czech Republic Foundation
Consortium for Karlín
Main media partner:
economia - Hospodářské noviny, ihned.cz, Respekt
Partners:
Alza, ALTYsound, BU2R, Copy General, K.S.H. Protective and Security Service, mm cité, Philips
Media partners:
A2, Archiweb, Art&Antiques, ArtMap, Earch, Era 21, Radio 1
Support:
Zažít město jinak, Auto*Mat
Special thanks:
ARCHIP, Holubová advokáti, Karlín sobě, Hungarian Cultural Institute, Obálka Praha
Contact:
Yvette Vašourková, vasourkova@ccea.cz, 604 847 510
CCEA MOBA, urbanity@ccea.cz, 725 467 148

Program